When it comes to fertility, what truly matters — and what’s just marketing? In this episode, Helene chats with mom of 2, Registered Dietitian and FullWell Founder Ayla Barmmer to break down evidence-based fertility nutrition for both women and men, PCOS support and what you need to know about prenatal and fertility supplements. Whether you’re actively TTC, planning ahead, navigating PCOS or simply wanting to support long-term reproductive health, this conversation will help you focus on what actually moves the needle — without the overwhelm.

We discuss:

-What nutrition really matters for fertility (for both women and men)

-How early to start focusing on fertility support before trying to conceive

-Strategic nutrition tweaks that have the biggest impact

-The impact of tobacco, alcohol and environmental toxins on TTC

-Specific nutrition, lifestyle and supplement recs for PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

-How to choose supplements- which ones are essential versus catchy marketing

-The truth about trendy products like greens powders and colostrum

-What you need to know about the supplement industry and choosing effective and high quality products

-Ayla’s motherhood journey including postpartum depression and running businesses while mothering

You’ll learn why you don’t need an overhaul to optimize women’s and men’s fertility, but instead small, consistent, evidence based changes that have the biggest impact over time.

Connect with Helene and the Mind Body Mother Community!

Use code PODCAST for 15% off Helene’s 1:1 Integrative Health Coaching

Connect with Ayla Barmmer and FullWellFetility

Resource mentioned: PSI postpartum support

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

2026 hit and “clean living” is no longer on trend. In a fast-growing culture shift where drinking green juice and tracking sleep is out, while smoking cigarettes is apparently cool again, Helene Kusman weighs in on the rebellion against diet culture, biohacking and healthy living that has the pendulum swinging hard in the opposite direction.

Helene breaks down what’s really behind this trend, why so many women feel burned out by wellness, what orthorexia and an unhealthy obsession with clean living looks like and how to find balance between both extremes.

Topics Discussed:

• What the anti-wellness trend really is—and why it’s exploding right now

• Why “just stop caring” isn’t the freedom it seems

• How wellness burnout pushes women toward extremes

• What orthorexia looks like in real life (and why it’s often praised)

• Questions to ask yourself to bring yourself back into balance

• The hidden emotional cost of perfectionism and rebellion

• What sustainable, realistic wellness actually looks like

• Simple steps for when you feel stuck in an extreme

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by wellness, confused by health trends, or tempted to “opt out” completely… this episode is for you.

Download your FREE Nutrition + Wellness Journal

Connect with Helene and the Mind Body Mother Community!

Use code PODCAST for 15% off Helene’s 1:1 Integrative Health Coaching

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

Perinatal mood disorders affect 1 in 5 women, postpartum depression impacts 1 in 7 and Black women are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy complications. Helene Kusman sits down with the certified nurse-midwife and nationally recognized researcher Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah to explore the truth about postpartum depression, perinatal mental health and maternal health equity.

Dr. Karen shares how stress, anxiety and structural inequities impact pregnancy and postpartum outcomes and offers evidence-based recommendations for meaningful change. Dr. Karen also opens up about her personal journey through three very different unmedicated births—with an OB, a midwife and a home birth—as well as her experience with miscarriage in her 40s.

We discuss:

• How stress, trauma and systemic factors affect pregnancy and postpartum outcomes

• Utilizing non-pharmacological integrative approaches in addition to medication for mental health conditions

• Understanding trauma and secondary trauma

• Maternal health inequities in the U.S. and why Black and Brown communities are at higher risk

• Research-backed strategies to improve perinatal mental health care for all

• What healthcare providers and moms can do to advocate for better care

• An inside look at the MomGenes postpartum depression research study

• Dr. Karen’s journey with her 3 births with an OB, midwife and home birth as well as a miscarriage in her 40s

• Self-care, mindfulness and nervous system support for busy moms

This eye opening conversation paints a picture of the current state of maternal health and what next steps are on both an individual and societal level. Dr. Karen’s calming voice paired with her in depth knowledge and expertise will leave you feeling informed, educated and empowered!

Connect with Helene and the Mind Body Mother Community!

Use code PODCAST for 15% off Helene’s 1:1 Integrative Health Coaching

You can connect with Dr Karen Sheffield Abdullah on Instagram and at https://www.beingdrkaren.com/

You can learn more about the Mom Genes study here

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice.